With 100% English Ancestry, I thought it might be really difficult to trace my ancestors back in England from Canada. Only my mother, her father and his mother were born in Canada. This Blog will talk about researching my English ancestors from Canada but also the ancestors of our son in law whose families stretch back far into Colonial French Canada. My one name study of Blake and of Pincombe also dominate my blog these days.

Thursday, May 15, 2014

Richard Blake, yeoman is the testator. Marston Sicca is also known as Long Marston. It is 68 miles from Bristol. Long Marston is only six miles SSW of Stratford on Avon, Warwickshire.

Richard does not mention any children in this will. He does mention brothers in law, nieces and nephews and a sister Mary Blake.

Names mentioned in the will:

Richard Blake, testator, Marston Sicca
Thomas Rawlins, godson
William Rawlins, brother in law
William Rawlins, son of William Rawlins
Anne Rawlins, daughter of William Rawlins
William Baxter, brother in law
Thomas Cooper, brother in law
Joseph, son of Thomas Cooper
Robert, son of Thomas Cooper
Thomas, son of Thomas Cooper
Jonathan, son of Thomas Cooper
Mary, daughter of Thomas Cooper
Barbara, daughter of Thomas Cooper
Hester, daughter of Thomas Cooper
Benjamin Cooper, godson, son of Thomas Cooper
John Blake, kinsman, executor
Robert Cooper, kinsman, executor
Robert Cooper, witness
Mary Blake, witness
Thomas Robbins, witness

From a record of an Inquisition Postmortem, page 104, Gloucestershire Inquisitiones Post Morten King Charles 1, edited by W.P.W. Phillimore and George S Fry, London: British Record Society Ltd. 1893.

5 Charles I [1 Apr 1629]

Robert Martyn, gentleman
Inquisition taken at Gloucester Castle 18th December, 5 Charles I [1629], before George Raymond, gent., feodary, John Hanbury, esq., and others, after the death of Robert Martyn gent., by the oath of Henry Merry, William Buckle, William Harris, Giles Bishopp, James Greene, John Kittermuster, John Blanch, Tobias Freeman, John Ellis, Thomas Greeninge, Thomas Jennings, Christopher Windowe, William Bullock, and John Lewes alias Gough, who say that

Robert Martyn was seised of one close of pasture called the greate Yellowes lying in Broadmerston in the parish of Pebworth, containing 50 acres of land, and one messuage and 2 virgates of land called Ullington in Pebworth.

So seized, the said Robert Martyn made his will 29th December, 4 Charles I [1628], at Pebworth, whereby he bequeathed to Robert Cooper, son of Thomas Cooper of Pebworth, the said close, to hold to him and his heirs. To Martin Cooper, another son of the said Thomas, he demised the said messuage to hold to him and his heirs. He appointed Thomas Martyn, and Edward Martyn, his kinsmen, to be his executors. One acre of the said close is held of the King in chief by the 100th part of a knight’s fee, and is worth per annum, clear, 4 d. Of whom or by what service the residue of the said close is held the jurors know not; it is worth per annum, clear, 50 s. Of whom or by what service the said messuage and land are held the jurors know not; they are worth per annum, clear, 20 s.

Robert Martyn died at Pebworth 1st April last past ; Richard Blake, son of Richard Blake, and Alice his wife, one of the sisters of the said Robert; John Ward, son of Thomas [sic] Ward, another sister [sic] of the said Robert; Joan, wife of Jervase Yate, another sister of the said Robert; Margaret Gardner, widow, and Mary, wife of Thomas Cooper, sisters of the said Robert, are his coheirs, and at the taking of this inquisition they were aged respectively: Richard Blake, 15 years; John Ward 30 years and more ; Joan Yate, 21 years and more ; Margaret Gardner 21 years and more ; and Mary Cooper 21 years and more.

Inq. p. m. 5 Charles I, part 2, No. 78 [1629]

A most helpful inquisition as it identifies this Richard Blake and Alice Martyn his wife. This Richard identifies Thomas Cooper as his brother in law and Mary the wife of Thomas Cooper is Mary Martyn sister to Richard’s wife Alice. But what has happened to the son Richard Blake who was 15 years of age in 1629 (and would now be 27 years of age if living).

There is a marriage of Richard Blake and Elizabeth Yate 13 Jul 1640 at Preston upon Stour (4 miles from Marston Sicca). Will have to determine which Richard Blake this actually is although it appears to be the father Richard Blake rather than the son who was 15 years of age in 1629.

1 In the Name of God Amen The seaventeenth
2 day of August in the yeare of our lord god 1641 Richard Blake
3 of Marston Sicca in the County of Gloucester yeoman being sicke and weake
4 in body but of perfect memory thanckes be to almighty god doe make this my
5 last will and testament in manne[r] and forme following that is to saye First I
6 bequeath my soule into the hands of all mighty god trusting by faith and hope in their
7 only merits and passion of Jesus Christ to attaine eternall life and my body
8 to the earth And as for my worldly goods I doe bequeath them as followeth Imprimis
9 I give and bequeath unto the Church of Marston Sicca twenty shillings Item
10 I give and bequeath unto the poore of Marston Sicca the somme of twenty shillings
11 Item I give and bequeath unto my Godson Thomas Rawlins the sonne of my
12 brother in Lawe William Rawlins the sonne of Fyftie pounds Item I give and
13 bequeath unto William Rawlins and Anne Rawlins two other of my brother in
14 lawe William Rawlins his Children the somme of forty pounds a peece
15 Item I give and bequeath unto my brother in lawe William Rawlins and
16 his wife the somme of five pounds a peece Item I give and bequeath
17 unto my brother in lawe William Baxter and his wife the somme of ten pounds
18 a peece Item I give and bequeath unto my sister Mary Blake the somme of
19 two hundred and forty pounds Item I give and bequeath unto Joseph Cooper
20 Robert Cooper Thomas Cooper and Jonathan Cooper foure of the sonnes of
21 my brother in lawe Thomas Cooper the somme of eighteene pounds a peece
22 Item I give and bequeath unto Mary Cooper Barbara Cooper and Hester
23 Cooper daughters of my brother in Lawe Thomas Cooper the somme of eighteene
24 pounds a peece Item I give and bequeath unto my godsonnes six shillings
25 eight pence a peece Item I give and bequeath unto my brother Coopers
26 three servant men and two servant maides five shillings a peece Item my
27 will and desire is that yf either of my brother Rawlins Children shall
28 dye before they accomplish the age of one and twenty yeares or be
29 married that then the legacies bequeathed shalbe equally devided to the
30 other All the residue of my goods Cattles Chattles debts money plate
31 right and tytle whatsoever not given nor bequeathed I give and bequeath
32 unto Beniamine Cooper my godson one other of the sonnes of my brother
33 in lawe Thomas Cooper whome I make and appoint sole executor of this
34 my last will and testament to recreate my debts pay my debts and to
35 fulfill this my will with a charge to be guided in the paying of the sayd
36 legacies before men[t]ioned dureing his nonage by my brother in lawe Thomas
37 Cooper And I doe appoint and request my kinsmen John Blake and
38 Robert Cooper to be overseers of this my last will and testament In
39 Wittnes whereof I have putt to my hand and seale Richard Blake in the
40 p[re]sence of Robert Cooper Mary Blake Thomas Robbins his marke